Alexander Zverev stormed into his fourth consecutive French Open semi-final with a commanding 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 victory over Australian 11th seed Alex de Minaur on Wednesday.

The fourth-seeded German will face Casper Ruud in the semi-finals after the Norwegian advanced via a walkover following Novak Djokovic's withdrawal due to injury.

Zverev, who is currently on an 11-match winning streak after clinching the Rome title last month, has yet to reach the final at Roland Garros despite his consistent deep runs. "I'm happy to be in another semi-final. Hopefully, I can win one," said Zverev, who notably defeated 14-time champion Rafael Nadal in the first round of this year's tournament.

In 2023, Zverev was defeated by Ruud in straight sets in the semi-finals of the French Open. This time, he dispatched De Minaur in under three hours, a contrast to the five-set battles he faced in the previous two rounds. Zverev saved a set point at 5-6 in the second set and then won a grueling 39-shot rally to set up a set point in the tie-break, which he clinched on the first attempt.

"Everybody in the press keeps asking me what I do for recovery and the answer is very simple -- you don't recover after matches, you recover in the off-season," explained Zverev. "I have the mindset you have to work harder than everyone else to be the best player. I like to work to my absolute limit. If I do that then playing five sets all of a sudden is not that difficult."

Zverev's journey has not been without setbacks. A severe ankle injury forced him to retire from his 2022 semi-final against Nadal, and in 2021, he lost a five-set thriller at the same stage to Stefanos Tsitsipas.

This tournament, Zverev competes under the cloud of an ongoing trial in Berlin regarding allegations of assault by an ex-girlfriend.

De Minaur, aiming for his first Grand Slam semi-final, was playing in just his second major quarter-final. Despite his strong start, including a 4-0 lead in the second set tie-break, he couldn't sustain the momentum. "I'm extremely proud of my efforts through the two weeks. Even today I think I put up a hell of a fight in difficult conditions against a quality opponent," said De Minaur. Reflecting on his missed opportunities, he added, "I had my opportunities. Should have probably taken the second set and I think we would have been in for a proper battle. I left my heart out there, I did everything I could. It wasn't good enough."

Zverev's quest for his first French Open final continues as he prepares to face Ruud, aiming to overcome past semi-final disappointments and advance to Sunday's final.